Plan International UK and Standard Chartered renew partnership to tackle youth unemployment in Asia

Plan International UK and Standard Chartered have announced a three-year continuation of their employability partnership to equip over 6,000 marginalised young women and people with disabilities across Asia with the skills, networks and confidence they need to secure meaningful, decent work.

The programme will be implemented by Plan International in Indonesia, Philippines, Korea, Thailand, Vietnam and funded by Standard Chartered Foundation, as part of Futuremakers by Standard Chartered – the international Bank’s global philanthropic initiative to tackle inequality by promoting greater economic inclusion for disadvantaged young people.

Over three years, the programme will also work with employers and policymakers to build more working environments that will foster equal opportunities for young women and people with disabilities.

According to the International Labour Organisation, 79 million young people globally are unemployed, of which 72 million are young women. In South-East Asia alone, an estimated 19 million young people are not in employment, education or training (NEET). The number is higher in East Asia, with an estimated 20 million young people NEET, and this is predicted to creep up in 2025, rising from 20.4 million in 2024 to 20.6 million this year. The gender gap also remains a concern. In South-East Asia, young women are 1.5 times more likely to be unemployed than young men.  

For young people with disabilities, the barriers are even higher — UN research shows that in many countries across Asia, less than 30% are employed. Barriers like gender discrimination, lack of access to skills training and inaccessible workplaces continue to hold them back, limiting both personal and economic potential.

Rose Caldwell, CEO of Plan International UK, said:

"Too many young women and people with disabilities across Asia are held back from decent work opportunities, not because of a lack of talent, but because of barriers they cannot overcome alone. By delivering Futuremakers, we’re working to break down these barriers, equipping young people with the skills they need to shape their own futures. This renewed partnership with Standard Chartered Foundation reflects our shared commitment to help thousands of young people achieve brighter, more secure futures."

Natasha Kwakwa, Global Head, Community Impact at Standard Chartered, said: “Fostering equal opportunities for young people is essential to economic growth and gender equality. Improving opportunities for young people who face disproportionate barriers to employment is fundamental to this extended Futuremakers programme across ASEAN. Through the programme, we aim to drive economic empowerment and employability for marginalised young women and young people with disabilities not just by supporting them to be job-ready, but also by opening doors so they remain in decent employment or self-employment.” 

Data cited sources:

• Global Employment Trends for Youth 2024, ILO https://www.ilo.org/sites/default/files/2024-09/GET_2024_EN%20web.pdf
• Disability and Development Report 2024, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, https://social.desa.un.org/sites/default/files/inline-files/Goal8.pdf